On Saturday Jill and I met with our dear friend Laure. You remember her, the obstetrician at the
Promesse de Dieu clinic out in the countryside. We've started working with her to draw-up the plans for a maternal education project with her patients. She's going to write a proposal to
these guys and hope to secure some funding. We're going to help. Jill's got the nursing expertise. I've got a master's degree that says I know how to plan projects. And Laure's pretty much the strongest, smartest person we know.
Saturday afternoon found Laure 9 months pregnant with her 6th child. Her husband has just started chemotherapy for a cancer that may take his life. Still, she was insistent we meet and discuss. We sat on Jill's back porch and threw around ideas for a maternal education program similar to the model of
group prenatal care. You can read more about it
here and
here.
Laure loves it. She wants to spend more time educating her patients. She wants safe deliveries and healthy babies. Seems simple enough, but when you don't have much, it's a daunting task.
We also launched a mini-project and handed over some medical donations, thanks to you, dear readers who were inspired by Laure's work and our
previous posts. Promesse de Dieu will be stocked with basic supplies to keep babies and mamas a little bit healthier this year.
P.S. If you have an idea or are interested in supporting our little project somehow. Get in touch with us! We especially welcome know-how regarding group prenatal care and Centering Pregnancy for socially high-risk populations...(expert friends, we know you're out there!)
Let me know what I can do to help! I've definitely got the prenatal education component down.
ReplyDeleteHello, I was directed to your blog by a friend of yours who I am working with in Colorado in the field of Public Health. I am an MPH and a birth doula, and am very passionate about improving maternal health care around the world. I don't have much experience with it, but I did work one summer at a clinic who served low-income and minority populations, working with their Centering Pregnancy program. So please, if I can help in anyway, let me know!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amanda! We will certainly be in contact!
ReplyDeleteJessica- we would love to be in contact with you re: Centering Pregnancy specifically. I have experience in prenatal education, but have not organized or led a Centering Pregnancy-type model. We think that it is the perfect fit for the population we are trying to serve but need some professional, experienced guidance! Email me!
i LOVE this!! just found this post and the others about Laure!! We LOVE Laure and will be visiting her in two weeks! I'm so excited to see this post :). Would love to learn more about how to help!!
ReplyDelete